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Things I Have Seen

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Things I Have Seen

Postby Swede » 03 15, 2019 •  [Post 1]

There has been a lot I have observed sitting in tree stands for several (about 4) thousand hours.
After I settle into my stand the critter activity by small creatures goes back to normal. Squirrels and birds go about their activity as if there was nothing unusual. When a hawk lands in a nearby tree the squirrels disappear immediately. They soon pop back out when the hawk is gone. For some reason a human in a tree can be ignored by most creatures. There is the occasional squirrel that will start to chatter after climbing up and seeing you. Usually they shut up and go on after a few minutes of racket. Coyotes will be oblivious to you if you don't move as they usually don't look up. Coyotes have great peripheral vision. Don't move on a coyote unless it is definitely looking away. Deer, elk and bears allow for some reasonable movement, but remember the word Reasonable). They have good enough eyes to pick up movement within reason. They are not like a coyote fortunately, but they can scent you if you are in a poor stand location.
People are funny too. They don't look around much and walk like they are just traveling through until they see the water hole and trails, then they inspect a little. After that they may start to look around. Some do and some don't.
What have some of you seen from a stand that was of interest?
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Re: Things I Have Seen

Postby Lefty » 03 27, 2019 •  [Post 2]

Lots of elk,.. but some 3/4 mile away. a few deer and coyotes

My 2nd year hunting from a blind was amazing . I sat in the blind 5 nights for a bit over an hour each evening. I had a trail cam set up and my trophy pic was of a game bird, songbird, rabbits, coyote and ranch truck all in one shot.
The tank leaked so there was a sloppy stinky gunk from from the stock tank.
I was entertained by Hungarian nd Sage grouse. then the jack rabbits came in by the dozen. I was trying to line up 5 with one arrow,.. had 4 lined up dozens of times. Next the cotton tails would come in. they would dring right at the tank overflow. Then thos tiny pygmy rabbits would run off the jacks and cotton tails. jump up into the tank, drinking and swimming, just a party To close out the evening the bats would wing in and drink.
Had elk come in once. 8 bulls; spike to big,.. and huge 6x6s Wow did I screw up. the two biggest bull walked on the down wind side of the blind 14 yards away :cry: I now have shooting holes all :? around my box blind :o
I had the 6 small bulls in front of me for over 20 minutes. At that time my distance was limited to shooting 27 yards. I only had butt shots, Tried to let down my arrow set at 45# and sunk it in the dirt till the fletching

At the end of the season I took my daughters and neighbor girl out to shoot some of the Huns,.. they were terrible 6-7 birds out of 50 shots( I only told them head shots with the .22)
One year walking to my blind 4 times I jumped a hen pintail out of a dusty cow wallow. Only thin I can think of there were good tasting bugs

While taking a snooze in the shade of a Lava rock in one of those upper 90 degree days I saw somebody running in the distance a long ways out running my direction.
The guy was playing Rambo,.. like some of us did as kids( only we used sticks as guns)
the guy would run and aim, run and aim,.. Quite funny looking thought he binos He was still some distance out, I have it recorded but maybe 250 yards out and he pulled up and aimed right at me.
immediately he saw me,.. I though I should have blended with that piece of lava rock quite well.
The expression on his face,.. He turned and ran as fast as his chubby little body would take him,.. then beat the crap out out his car getting out of the desert.

Ive had deer squirrels, martin, fox coyotes literally sniffing the end of a gun barrel.

Twenty years back my brother was on a ground stand for deer in Northern Minnesota. A wolf saw him an walked right towards him. At 10 feet the wolf bared its teeth. My brother told him to"Go away"
It took another step towards him.
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Lefty
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Re: Things I Have Seen

Postby Swede » 03 28, 2019 •  [Post 3]

Well tell us the rest of the story about your brother. Did he get eaten or is he ok?
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Re: Things I Have Seen

Postby Lefty » 03 29, 2019 •  [Post 4]

It happened in Minnesota near Crane Lake . Wolves were protected even though there was over 2000 in the state.

My brother was fine. He was also and very law abiding outdoors-man.
I only share the story because he passed away nine years ago. Otherwise he hadnt shared the story, and the end results.
I asked why he never reported the incident. His comment was something to the effect.
"No matter the truth there ends up an investigation and interrogation with lawyers and legal fees "
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Re: Things I Have Seen

Postby Swede » 03 29, 2019 •  [Post 5]

Well the good guys won one. So your brother really did the shoot, shovel and shut up routine. I fully understand his perspective.
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